Veteran football administrator Nicholas Musonye has expressed doubts about Kenya’s joint bid with Uganda and Tanzania to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Musonye, who served as the general secretary of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations (Cecafa) for 13 years, emphasized the importance of proper handling for the bid to succeed.
According to Musonye, the three countries may struggle to meet the infrastructure requirements within the given three-year timeframe.
He believes that it would take at least 10 years to adequately develop the necessary facilities.
”We don’t have facilities and the ones we have, we can’t improve them in three years. It will take at least 10 years to put everything in place. We have been given the right to host continental tournaments twice and both times we failed,” said Musonye in an interview with the Nairobi News.
Kenya has previously been awarded the right to host major football tournaments, such as the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 Confederations Cup of Nations (CHAN). However, on both occasions, the hosting rights were revoked due to insufficient infrastructure.
Musonye’s comments coincide with President William Ruto’s receipt of the bid document at State House, witnessed by Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba and Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) stipulates certain requirements for host countries, including proximity to an airport, a level five hospital, and a five-star hotel. Additionally, each venue must have a minimum of three world-class training grounds.
If the bid is successful, Nairobi, Kisumu, and Eldoret are expected to host matches in Kenya, while Tanzania is eyeing Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Arusha, and Zanzibar.
ForneUganda is already preparing Kampala’s Namboole and Nakivubo stadiums as potential venues
